Should We Eat Meat?
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BOD
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
The question now is should we continue to eat meat and keep the suffering of animals or go for Google burgers and steaks?
http://gulfnews.com/news/world/synt...iest-burger-made-it-on-to-the-plate-1.1217350
Or is there an alternative, namely that the squeamish eat Google food and those who are willing to seek it out on the hoof can do so traditionally doing away with the farms and abbatoirs that now proliferate which will be replaced by bio-food production labs?
http://gulfnews.com/news/world/synt...iest-burger-made-it-on-to-the-plate-1.1217350
Or is there an alternative, namely that the squeamish eat Google food and those who are willing to seek it out on the hoof can do so traditionally doing away with the farms and abbatoirs that now proliferate which will be replaced by bio-food production labs?
Great pic in the OP. 
If production of lab meat is ramped up to an industrial level then I'd suggest that that will have a knock on effect to the environment in terms of water usage, waste materials etc. etc.
Meat has become a daily necessity to most in the 'first world' perhaps we should step back from that, every other day and to make more use of the whole animal rather than the Tesco 'food cubes' that so many bang into the microwave?
If production of lab meat is ramped up to an industrial level then I'd suggest that that will have a knock on effect to the environment in terms of water usage, waste materials etc. etc.
Meat has become a daily necessity to most in the 'first world' perhaps we should step back from that, every other day and to make more use of the whole animal rather than the Tesco 'food cubes' that so many bang into the microwave?
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There's a lot of ethical issues to consider with the modern meat industry. I personally don't eat meat as I believe factory farming is massively destructive to the environment and causes unnecessary suffering to animals, I have different opinions on fishing and hunting however and would eat game if I'd caught or hunted it myself. Our Western diet is too dependent on meat, I'm sure our ancestors ate meat as and when they could get it and probably respected the animals they slaughtered much more than the McDonald's generation we have now who don't even know where a burger comes from.
Agreed. I eat a mostly Vegetarian diet eating lots of stuff that i have grown, i don't eat meat partially because of how it is reared but but mostly because of the environmental impact of rearing meat. It is important to note though that modern vegetarianism also has a very significant environmental impact- take for example the massive impact that the unrestricted expansion of soya farms has had
http://www.theecologist.org/green_green_living/food_and_drink/1337453/the_dark_side_of_soya_how_one_super_crop_lost_its_way.html
True, its ironic that a lot of vegetarians forget this aspect of trying to eat in an ethical way, I do eat some soya products but I try to buy stuff that comes from responsibly managed methods although it is hard. personally I don't eat much of the processed stuff that a lot of veggies seem to feast on mainly either as it's probably just as bad and tend to grow my own veg too.
There was an interesting photo essay doing the rounds a few years back showing families from around the world sat around a table (or mat or whatever) with their weeks food. We have a reasonably popular permaculture movement here in Hungary and they took issue with the Hungarian family standing before their 'Tesco' weekly shop and so produced a picture of what a family in a permaculture community were consuming weekly, it looked quite tasty, maybe less meat but lots of eggs, beans and such.
I love meat. But I agree that modern factory farming is bad for both the animal and the environment. So I try to buy meat from traditional farms, where the animals have a good life. Those animals have only a small impact on the environment, and their meat tastes better and is healthier. It's more expensive most of the time, but that's worth it.
We have a turkey farm which does just this. Free range animals, and they are slaughtered there too. Happy animals, no stress for them, and they taste soooo good!
We have a turkey farm which does just this. Free range animals, and they are slaughtered there too. Happy animals, no stress for them, and they taste soooo good!
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I think that's basically what it comes down to, if your going to kill an animal for food then as long as its given a good life and you've dispatched it humanely then that's fair enoughI love meat. But I agree that modern factory farming is bad for both the animal and the environment. So I try to buy meat from traditional farms, where the animals have a good life. Those animals have only a small impact on the environment, and their meat tastes better and is healthier. It's more expensive most of the time, but that's worth it.
We have a turkey farm which does just this. Free range animals, and they are slaughtered there too. Happy animals, no stress for them, and they taste soooo good!
Personal choice. I don't eat meat or fish. I know lots of people that do - I've butchered and cooked meat for them, don't mind as I love cooking. Just don't want to eat it.
Nevertheless, I don't like being criticised for my personal choice and I do get sick of being asked whether I miss bacon sandwiches and whether I feel tired all of the time. As an Ironman-distance triathlete and someone that exercises more than most, I find it odd that these are seen as legitimate questions. And, looking at the original picture at the top of the post, I don't feel like a coward either - I spent 17 years in the Armed Services and served in just about every conflict we had a hand in from 1994 to 2009. Perhaps I should turn the tables and ask about the significantly increased risks of colo-rectal cancer, stroke and heart disease related to eating large quantities of red meat? I thought the original pic was pretty funny; unfortunately, I know there are many that would take it literally. Maybe some of my paleo-diet buddies?
I wish more people had the attitude of many on this forum - knowing where food comes from (no, not just Tesco...) and respecting the animal/fish and the environment it lived in. Perhaps it's not about what you eat, but where you source it from and how you go about looking after the habitat the animals and fish need. To stalk and cleanly kill a dear needs skill, respect and understanding. You don't get that from buying venison at a supermarket. Whilst I'm not suggesting we should all go out and kill our own meat supply, maybe we could all eat a little less meat and/or soya, and preserve habitat so we are able to enjoy these foods as treats rather than as standard, daily diet?
Otherwise, we may all be eating protein grown in a lab. Vegetarians and carnivores alike. Not sure I fancy that...
Nevertheless, I don't like being criticised for my personal choice and I do get sick of being asked whether I miss bacon sandwiches and whether I feel tired all of the time. As an Ironman-distance triathlete and someone that exercises more than most, I find it odd that these are seen as legitimate questions. And, looking at the original picture at the top of the post, I don't feel like a coward either - I spent 17 years in the Armed Services and served in just about every conflict we had a hand in from 1994 to 2009. Perhaps I should turn the tables and ask about the significantly increased risks of colo-rectal cancer, stroke and heart disease related to eating large quantities of red meat? I thought the original pic was pretty funny; unfortunately, I know there are many that would take it literally. Maybe some of my paleo-diet buddies?
I wish more people had the attitude of many on this forum - knowing where food comes from (no, not just Tesco...) and respecting the animal/fish and the environment it lived in. Perhaps it's not about what you eat, but where you source it from and how you go about looking after the habitat the animals and fish need. To stalk and cleanly kill a dear needs skill, respect and understanding. You don't get that from buying venison at a supermarket. Whilst I'm not suggesting we should all go out and kill our own meat supply, maybe we could all eat a little less meat and/or soya, and preserve habitat so we are able to enjoy these foods as treats rather than as standard, daily diet?
Otherwise, we may all be eating protein grown in a lab. Vegetarians and carnivores alike. Not sure I fancy that...
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And before anyone accuses me of having no sense of humour, I believed the OP was showing the picture to stimulate debate. I understand the spirit in which it was intended but just want to propose an alternative point of view.
Haha... nice pic
I eat meat because i, like everyone else, is an omnivore and we're supposed to eat meat.
I eat meat because i, like everyone else, is an omnivore and we're supposed to eat meat.
